Written Answers Tuesday 11 January 2011

Scottish Executive

Drug Misuse

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many Category A calls to the Scottish Ambulance Service in Glasgow, or the smallest area including the city for which calls are recorded, were made in (a) 2008 and (b) 2009 in respect of drug overdoses due to heroin or other opiates (i) alone or (ii) in combination with other substances and what the outcome was in each case

Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) has provided the following tables, which set out all overdose/poisoning related calls for Glasgow (postcode sectors G1 to G5).

  The information is recorded by dispatch code so the SAS is unable to provide definitive numbers of heroin/opiate related overdoses as some may have been categorised as "not alert", for example. On that basis, a full breakdown of relevant codes, extracted from the most up-to-date version of the dispatch codes at that time, has been provided.

  

Chief Complaint (at dispatch)
2008


Overdose/Poisoning: Accidental Antidepressants Tricyclic
1


Overdose/Poisoning: Accidental Police Attending
3


Overdose/Poisoning: Accidental Severe Respiratory Distress
1


Overdose/Poisoning: Accidental Unconscious
24


Overdose/Poisoning: Accidental Unknown Status 
10


Overdose/Poisoning: Intentional Antidepressants Tricyclic
10


Overdose/Poisoning: Intentional Cocaine Derivative
4


Overdose/Poisoning: Intentional Narcotics Heroin
9


Overdose/Poisoning: Intentional No Priority Symptoms
72


Overdose/Poisoning: Intentional Unconscious
79


Overdose/Poisoning: Intentional Unknown Status
143


Overdose/Poisoning: Intentional Violent Patient
34


Overdose/Poisoning: Accidental Abnormal Breathing
7


Overdose/Poisoning: Accidental Not Alert
35


Overdose/Poisoning: Intentional Abnormal Breathing
34


Overdose/Poisoning: Intentional Not Alert
144


Total Overdose/Poisoning
610



  

Chief Complaint (at dispatch)
2009


Overdose/Poisoning: Accidental Narcotics Heroin
2


Overdose/Poisoning: Accidental Police Attending
4


Overdose/Poisoning: Accidental Unconscious
12


Overdose/Poisoning: Accidental Unknown Status 
15


Overdose/Poisoning: Intentional Antidepressants Tricyclic
6


Overdose/Poisoning: Intentional Cocaine Derivative
2


Overdose/Poisoning: Intentional Narcotics Heroin
12


Overdose/Poisoning: Intentional No Priority Symptoms
78


Overdose/Poisoning: Intentional Unconscious
76


Overdose/Poisoning: Intentional Unknown Status
157


Overdose/Poisoning: Intentional Violent Patient
31


Overdose/Poisoning: Accidental Abnormal Breathing
9


Overdose/Poisoning: Accidental Not Alert
35


Overdose/Poisoning: Intentional Abnormal Breathing
29


Overdose/Poisoning: Intentional Not Alert
118


Total Overdose/Poisoning
586



  Notes:

  1. While all overdose/poisoning chief complaints are 999 emergency calls, the codes can be Category A, B or C determinants.

  2. The dispatch code is determined through questioning of a caller and is based on information available at the time of call. As such, the numbers within the specific heroin and cocaine determinant cannot be considered as a complete picture of overdose in respect of these two drugs as in many cases, the reason for overdose will not be apparent until paramedics arrive on scene.

  3. SAS does not currently record incidents where drugs and/or alcohol have been a factor beyond that provided above. SAS cannot, therefore, provide any analysis on a combination of drugs or whether drugs were a factor in any other incidents

  4. SAS does not record details of "outcomes" for patients as their data systems only record ambulance service information; that is, up to the point at which they have completed treatment on scene or handed a patient over at hospital.

Education

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what support it makes available to assist young musicians with their studies.

Michael Russell: The Scottish Government is committed to increasing learning through the arts and culture, and enabling young people to develop creative skills. We are providing ongoing support for the Youth Music Initiative, which provides young people with opportunities to get involved in music. In 2011-12, £10 million will be invested in the scheme, incorporating the allocation of £8 million for local authorities to widen access to free music tuition for primary pupils.

  We have also published the Education and the Arts, Culture and Creativity Action Plan, being delivered in partnership with Learning and Teaching Scotland and Creative Scotland, with the aim of developing the role and impact of the arts and creativity within and across Curriculum for Excellence. Furthermore, curriculum guidance sets out the opportunities and progression routes learners have through the Expressive Arts Experiences and Outcomes to develop their skills in performing and creating music.

Justice

James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimate is of the potential costs of ending automatic early release.

Kenny MacAskill: The government published its estimate of the cost of early release in the Financial Memorandum of the Criminal Justice and Licensing Act 2010, which can be accessed via the Scottish Parliament website (page 122 onwards):

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/bills/24-CrimJustLc/b24s3-introd-en.pdf.

Justice

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce a further statutory instrument amending the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (Permitted Disclosure of Information) Order 2009 to delete Article 2(b).

Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government intends to bring forward legislation to allow the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission to publish a statement of reasons in cases where an appeal is abandoned, subject of course to legal restrictions applying to the commission such as data protection, the convention rights of individuals and international obligations attaching to information provided by foreign authorities.

Justice

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have failed to fulfil community payback orders since their introduction.

Kenny MacAskill: Provisions for the community payback order are not yet in force. They will be commenced on 1 February 2011.

Justice

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is taken when a person fails to fulfil a community payback order.

Kenny MacAskill: The sanctions for breaching a requirement of a community payback order, and how the courts may deal with these, are set out in section 227ZC of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995, as inserted by section 14 of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010.

  Further information about the community payback order, including details about the sanctions for breach, can be found on the Scottish Government website at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Justice/public-safety/offender-management/offender/community/examples/payback/CPO.

Justice

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what categories of offence will be considered for community payback orders.

Kenny MacAskill: Sections 227A and 227M of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995, as inserted by section 14 of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010, set out the circumstances in which a court may impose a community payback order: in particular, that a court may do so as an alternative to imprisonment and instead of, or as well as, imposing a fine.

  It will be for the court to determine whether a community payback order is an appropriate sentence taking account of the facts and circumstances of the individual case.

Justice

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether people who fail to pay a fixed penalty notice will be eligible to be considered for a community payback order.

Kenny MacAskill: As set out in section 303 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995, failure to pay a fixed penalty is enforceable by civil diligence only. Criminal sanctions, such as a community payback order, do not apply.

Weather

Elaine Smith (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the army regarding how to respond to problems caused by cold weather conditions

Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government Resilience Room (SGoRR) has been working 24 hours a day for the duration of the period of extraordinary weather which Scotland has been experiencing, carrying out a monitoring and co-ordinating role. Dialogue with the army has been ensured by the presence in SGoRR, where appropriate, and attendance at relevant Cabinet Sub-Committee meetings, of a military liaison officer.

Weather

Elaine Smith (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines it provides to local authorities when dealing with prolonged periods of snow and ice.

Kenny MacAskill: Guidance on preparing for all types of emergencies for local authorities, and other agencies which are charged by legislation with responding to them, is contained in Preparing Scotland: Scottish Guidance on Preparing for Emergencies , published by the Scottish Executive in 2007, a copy of which is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 52269).

  Scottish emergency planning and response is based on the principles of Integrated Emergency Management (IEM). Under IEM both preparation and response to emergencies should focus on the effects of events rather than their causes. The underlying aim of IEM is to develop flexible and adaptable arrangements that will enable effective joint response to any crisis whether foreseen or unforeseen, including severe weather. It is intended to build the resilience of communities in Scotland to deal with any emergency and, where necessary, to make specific arrangements to deal with particular risks. Preparing Scotland makes it clear that arrangements and plans of local responders are the basic building blocks of response to an emergency. Scottish civil protection is founded on a "bottom-up" approach, in which control of operations is exercised at the lowest practical level. This approach has been proven to be robust in Scotland.

Weather

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive  in what circumstances householders or businesses that clear ice or snow from footpaths might be held legally responsible for injuries sustained by a third party slipping or falling on the footpath.

Kenny MacAskill: Being a good neighbour and clearing paths of ice and snow is the kind of practical step that many of us can take during spells of cold weather.

  The legal position is that there is no law preventing people from clearing snow and ice on the pavement outside or on paths to their house, business or any other building. Provided they are careful, use common sense and don’t do anything which would be likely to cause harm or distress to others, it is highly unlikely that they will be found responsible for any accidents. Indeed, it is equally important that users of areas affected by snow and ice also take personal responsibility for their own safety.